incidents and accidents, hints and allegations

I'm getting my Yuletide recs up early this year! . . . by which I mean earlier than last year, by a whole two days. (Well, it was the 21st before I started reworking my organization scheme on the fly and His Pipliness needed soothing back to sleep, twice.
Close enough.) But these are still recs for last year's Yuletide.

Despite the timing, these are all pre-reveal recs: I clipped everything that looked vaguely interesting into Evernote and read it that way, with "anonymous" listed as every author. (In fact I am cutting and pasting so fast now that I am not even registering the author half the time . . . ) There are 59 of these, if my tag count in Evernote is correct, so they are broken down into cut-tagged categories for your convenience; there are headers inside that match the cut-tags for skimming purposes. I am sorry for the lack of detailed discussion, but I hope the headers and my comments give you an idea of whether you want to read the story anyway. Feel free to comment if you'd like more information.

Perfectly captures the delight of the movie. (Be sure to read the zine, too!)

Gary and Celeste, what do they know about anything? (728 words) by seren_ccdChapters: 1/1Fandom: Out of Sight (1998)Rating: Teen And Up AudiencesWarnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsRelationships: Jack Foley/Karen SiscoCharacters: Jack Foley, Karen Sisco, BuddyAdditional Tags: Yuletide TreatSummary: What if they did take a time out? Karen Sisco and Jack Foley throughout the years.

This is a very true-to-canon epilogue, funny and bittersweet.

The Prince and the Pirate (7662 words) by LookingForOctoberChapters: 1/1Fandom: Princess Bride (1987)Rating: Teen And Up AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyRelationships: Buttercup/WestleyCharacters: Buttercup (Princess Bride), Westley (Princess Bride), HumperdinckSummary: True love. Pirate treasure. Fencing. Fighting. Captures. Escapes. Life and death. Pursuing happiness. // Getting away from Humperdinck wasn't so easy after all. // This is an AU in which Buttercup was the maid of all work who became a pirate and Westley was the prince. Some of the genders of other characters have also been changed, but other than that, the world is more or less the same.

Even in the movie, Buttercup could definitely use some more agency (the book is worse), so this role-swap of post-canon hits the spot.

The One You Earn (1151 words) by autumndynastyChapters: 1/1Fandom: Princess TutuRating: General AudiencesWarnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsRelationships: Ahiru | Duck/FakirCharacters: Fakir (Princess Tutu), Ahiru | Duck, Mytho (Princess Tutu), Rue (Princess Tutu)Additional Tags: Character Study, Fairy Tales, Hopeful Ending, Post-Canon Fix-ItSummary: The best endings are the ones your earn and Fakir is determined to earn theirs, no matter what form it may take. A story of having your cake and trying to eat it too.

The Evolution of Reptiles (7708 words) by FahyeChapters: 1/1Fandom: Elementary (TV)Rating: Teen And Up AudiencesWarnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsCharacters: Jamie Moriarty | Irene Adler, Joan Watson (Elementary)Additional Tags: Magical RealismSummary: "You could at least pretend at some small talk before you pull out the crayons," Moriarty says.

A bunch of good Elementary fic this year, though of course it's all as of the middle of S2. Here's a slightly magic-realist take on Moriarty, through Joan visiting her in prison, which has an excellent voice for her.

A bunch of good Middleman fic this year. Here's a sweet little holiday-gift-giving story to start.

The Dual Proficiency Protocol (2451 words) by victoria_pChapters: 1/1Fandom: The Middleman (TV)Rating: General AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyCharacters: Wendy Watson, Noser (The Middleman)Additional Tags: Best Friends, death-defying adventures, Derring-Do, HumorSummary: "So, this happens to you a lot?" "Oh, you know, just on days that end in y."

And then Wendy and Noser being friends and having Middle-tastic adventures, because Wendy's friends being prohibited from knowing the truth about her employment chafed on me more and more as the season went on.

Dweller on the Threshold (39743 words) by Nemo_the_EverbeingChapters: 7/7Fandom: Twin PeaksRating: Teen And Up AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyCharacters: Dale Cooper, Albert Rosenfield, Audrey Horne, Harry Truman, Dennis "Denise" Bryson, Tommy 'Hawk' Hill, Big Ed Hurley, Margaret "The Log Lady" Lanterman, Sarah Palmer, Major Garland Briggs, The Man from Another Place, Laura Palmer, Maddy Ferguson, BOB (Twin Peaks), MIKE (Twin Peaks)Additional Tags: Series Spoilers, Abstract Mention of 'Fire Walk with Me', Some mention of canon relationships, Canon Character of Color, Canon Gender Queer Character, Fanon Gay Character, Canon Typical Violence, BOB Being Himself, Possession, Resolution for the Final Episode, Body Horror, Psychological Horror, Just sort of a Blanket Warning for Canon Typical Horror, Audrey Being a Badass, Albert Being a Badass, Harry's Poor Coping Mechanisms, White Lodge, Black Lodge, Philip Gerard Has a Name, Attempts at Lynchian Levels of Weirdness, Albert Audrey and Denise Go on a Road TripSummary: On April 3, 1989, Audrey Horne turns up at the Philadelphia FBI field office looking for Albert Rosenfield. She has a story to tell, a business card, and a request for assistance. Over the next few days Albert discovers supernatural science projects and the reason why even forensic specialists should keep up their firearms training, Denise Bryson has a car and the will to use it, the Bookhouse Boys really ought to subcontract more, and Harry Truman has a serious problem on his hands: // BOB is out, and eager for fun. He wears a smile; everybody run.

The only reason I didn't put this above the cut is because I haven't watched the series since it ended, and so I can't vouch for the canon-compatibility of it. But I don't actually care, because it's 40K of post-series fix-it, with a huge cast of characters, and Audrey and Albert being badasses, and very canon-typical levels of creepy and weird, and it's just really fucking impressive. (Also does a nice job of seeding context as to how things stood at the start of the series, for people like me.)

(There's another story with good Mildmay voice, Cabbages and Kings (2685 words) by rapacityinblue, but I'm so hazy on the end of canon that unfortunately I can't tell if it makes any sense. ETA: hah, see what I mean about c&p'ing things so fast I'm not registering author names? Of course it's also got good voice, it's by the same person.)

Dear (1600 words) by KiaraSayreChapters: 1/1Fandom: Emelan - Tamora PierceRating: General AudiencesWarnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings ApplyCharacters: Sandrilene fa Toren, Briar Moss, Trisana Chandler, Daja KisuboAdditional Tags: EpistolarySummary: A selection of letters to and from Trisana Chandler during her four years at Lightsbridge.

Tris-at-Lightsbridge and epistolary, i.e., entirely up my alley, and with really great details (that mage name!).

The Sleeping Beauty is my favorite of this series, and this is a fun look at the characters and another fan-wrought assessment of how this form of magic might affect people with different identities, here a trans person.

The Goddess of Suffering Scam (4266 words) by EdonohanaChapters: 1/1Fandom: Gentleman Bastard Sequence - Scott LynchRating: Teen And Up AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyCharacters: Jean Tannen, Father Chains, Locke Lamora, Calo Sanza, Galdo SanzaAdditional Tags: Don't Have to Know Canon, No Spoilers, Con ArtistsSummary: In the early days of the Gentleman Bastards, Locke impersonates a self-flagellating acolyte of the Goddess of Suffering, and Jean stands by as the muscle in case the mark catches on. You know what they say about the best-laid plans.

Exactly what it says on the tin.

a glass poured to air (1717 words) by RavenChapters: 1/1Fandom: Gentleman Bastard Sequence - Scott LynchRating: Teen And Up AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyRelationships: Sabetha Belacoros/Locke Lamora, Locke Lamora/Jean TannenCharacters: Locke Lamora, Sabetha Belacoros, Jean Tannen, Lamor AcanthusAdditional Tags: Spoilers, The Republic of ThievesSummary: There comes a day months afterwards, almost enough to begin counting in years, when Locke Lamora stops in front of a mirror and says, "Lamor Acanthus."

In case you missed it in the tags: spoilers for Republic of Thieves, and also won't make any sense without it; but it was just the story I needed after that book.

A Necklace of Broken Promises and Regrets (10865 words) by KaesaChapters: 1/1Fandom: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - Susanna ClarkeRating: General AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyCharacters: Jonathan Strange, Gilbert Norrell, Henry Lascelles, The Lady of the Castle of the Plucked Eye and Heart, Original CharactersAdditional Tags: Fairies, Footnotes, Post-CanonSummary: While traveling in Faerie, Strange and Norrell encounter Henry Lascelles. He is half-conscious, ill, and murderous, and he has made a powerful enemy.

I already recced this story and the next at the Tor.com reread, so I'll just say what I did there, that this feels like a very plausible extension of the book.

The Soldier's Not for Leaving (2303 words) by adiva_calandiaChapters: 1/1Fandom: The Lady's Not For BurningRating: General AudiencesWarnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsRelationships: Jennet Jourdemayne/Thomas MendipSummary: 1400, more or less, and a day later, to be precise. // The soldier, the lady, and her dog watch the moon rise. Because there is life beyond the pyre -- but it's going to take work, and time, and love, to keep it going. // A helpful spell might not go amiss, either, if the right one comes along.

I'm very conflicted about this one. The language and characterization is great, but as the last line of the summary suggests, Jennet is actually a witch in this, and I object to that quite strongly. But if you feel the same as me, you can just stop reading when Thomas falls asleep?

Young-Wandering-Time (856 words) by Malkin GreyChapters: 1/1Fandom: MageworldsRating: General AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyCharacters: Llannat HyfidSummary: Llannat Hyfid has some choices to make . . . but staying home isn't one of them.

Llannat was one of my favorites of the series, and this look at her origins makes me really happy (and also wish I had time to re-read all the books right now).

Murder at the Fête (3010 words) by VyolaChapters: 1/1Fandom: Miss Marple - Agatha ChristieRating: General AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyCharacters: Jane MarpleSummary: When murder strikes unseen, only Miss Marple can sort through means, motive, and opportunity to reveal the killer.

Impressively successful pastiche.

Twice Removed (3730 words) by astolatChapters: 1/1Fandom: Nero Wolfe - Rex StoutRating: Teen And Up AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyRelationships: Archie Goodwin/Lily RowanCharacters: Archie Goodwin, Nero Wolfe, Lily Rowan, Saul Panzer, Inspector CramerSummary: "I fully recognize it's beneath you," I told him, having given him a sketch of Lily's problem. "The necklace is only worth a measly twenty or thirty grand, and it's not as though you've ever considered yourself in Miss Rowan's debt — " // "Grrh," Wolfe said, so I took it that my point had been made and moved on.

Something like a fix-it, and a very interesting take on their relationship and how it (and they) might change under other circumstances; The Wire content is minimal. Disclaimer: I beta-read this.

Pieces of the Whole (5258 words) by astrokathChapters: 1/1Fandom: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffreyRating: Teen And Up AudiencesWarnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsCharacters: Original CharactersAdditional Tags: Character Death, Weyrlings, Impression, DarkSummary: Your dragon is with you for life, and loves you for life, no matter how badly you screw up. How do you adjust to that? // What if you can't?

Impressive worldbuilding.

on hairpins (2832 words) by LirazelChapters: 1/1Fandom: The Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen TurnerRating: General AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyRelationships: Attolia/Eugenides (Queen's Thief)Characters: Attolia (Queen's Thief), Eugenides (Queen's Thief), Costis (Queen's Thief), Eddis (Queen's Thief)Summary: When the citizens of Attolia complain that the Thief of Eddis is a terrible influence on their queen, they have no way of knowing the truth of their own words.

Cuuuuuuuuuuuute.

The Abigail Kamara Approach to Policework & Magic (1482 words) by moriannChapters: 1/1Fandom: Rivers of London - Ben AaronovitchRating: Not RatedWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyRelationships: Peter Grant & Abigail KamaraCharacters: Peter Grant, Abigail KamaraAdditional Tags: Brutalist Architecture, Women Being Awesome, Towards the Industrial Use of Magic, Future FicSummary: Real magic is not cool; it’s a pain in the arse. Not to mention bloody hard to learn. And you’ll be stuck learning it from guys who’d pretend they’re walking encyclopedias of magic when the truth is they’ve been mostly bumbling along, because they’re unaware of the many, many ways they are wrong. Seriously, I’m talking from experience here.

Abigail is the best.

Folly To Be Wise (6661 words) by PhilomythaChapters: 1/1Fandom: Rivers of London - Ben AaronovitchRating: Teen And Up AudiencesWarnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsCharacters: Thomas Nightingale, Peter Grant, Lesley MayAdditional Tags: Case Fic, Ghosts, World War II, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, EttersbergSummary: Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.

Excellent, extremely canon-reminscient casefic set sometime around the second or third books.

I don't know Endeavour at all, but I enjoyed this for an outsider's perspective on Nightingale pre-canon.

A Woman's Touch (2289 words) by sathChapters: 1/1Fandom: Robot Series - Isaac AsimovRating: General AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyCharacters: Susan CalvinAdditional Tags: Case Fic, Robot/Human RelationshipsSummary: When a U.S. Robots employee is caught trying to steal a prototype robot, Susan Calvin is asked to find out what had caused the man to become so emotionally attached to a machine.

Like canon, but better.

Books: Temeraire, Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England, Tortall (Immortals), The Westing Game (3), The Wheel of Time, Young Wizards

I haven't read the source, but I have to rec anything that includes "Also, on the related matter of Shakespeare: yes, it has been done before. Whatever it was you were thinking. . . . We have a plaintive sonnet from the Bard himself requesting our Tourists to cease their attentions."

And this is another future fic, a lovely, thoughtful one from Chris's POV that gives the reader a look at many of the other heirs.

Wisdom and Power (1618 words) by russian_blueChapters: 1/1Fandom: Wheel of Time - Robert JordanRating: General AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyCharacters: Nynaeve al'Meara, Tam al'Thor, Egwene al'Vere, Mistress BarranAdditional Tags: BackstorySummary: Creator grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; power to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Nynaeve's first, unrecognized at the time, use of the One Power. Great character voice.

Get Me To The Church On Time (1875 words) by hollimicheleChapters: 1/1Fandom: Young Wizards - Diane DuaneRating: General AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyRelationships: Carl Romeo/Tom SwaleCharacters: Carmela Rodriguez, Kit Rodriguez, Nita Callahan, Dairine CallahanAdditional Tags: everybody loves a weddingSummary: Well, there were supposed to be flowers.

Tom and Carl's wedding, with perfect narrator voice and funny and touching bits in the appropriate quantities.

Hello Operator, Please Give Me Number Nine (3066 words) by StarlingthefoolChapters: 1/1Fandom: Calvin & HobbesRating: Teen And Up AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyCharacters: Susie Derkins, Death - CharacterAdditional Tags: Nerdiness, Deus Ex Machina, Calvinball, Ingmar Bergman references, This is creepier than I intended it to be, Death as a characterSummary:
The lesson here, Susie thinks, is that tricking Death is tricky business. How do you outwit the personification of oblivion? Chess, obviously, won’t be the answer.
// Or: Susie plays Calvinball with Death.

I didn't find this particularly creepy, but it is a great concept well-executed.

Wizards in Winter (2440 words) by vibishanChapters: 1/1Fandom: Calvin & Hobbes, Young Wizards - Diane DuaneRating: General AudiencesWarnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings ApplyCharacters: Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes), Hobbes (Calvin and Hobbes)Summary: The advertisement is a spiky red impact bubble on the back of his box of Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs. Mail in just five box tops for your very own HOW TO BE A WIZARD KIT* .

Calvin takes the Oath and goes on Ordeal. This is exactly how that would be.

this isn't ours. (1510 words) by voksenChapters: 1/1Fandom: A Dark Room (Doublespeak Games)Rating: Teen And Up AudiencesWarnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsRelationships: Builder/Wanderer (A Dark Room)Characters: Builder (A Dark Room), Wanderer (A Dark Room)Additional Tags: PasticheSummary: but if you fixed it, it could belong to both of us.

If you've played A Dark Room, read this immediately.

If you haven't, go play it—but not the iOS app!—and then come back and read this.

Summer Rain (9652 words) by abluestockingChapters: 1/1Fandom: Jolene (Song) - Dolly PartonRating: Teen And Up AudiencesWarnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsRelationships: Jolene/Narrator ("Jolene"), Narrator ("Jolene")/Man ("Jolene")Characters: Jolene, Narrator ("Jolene"), Man ("Jolene")Additional Tags: Mercenaries, Warring Factions, Applied Politics, High FantasySummary: Even before Jolene ran into an assassination attempt in a dark alley, it had been a long evening and an even longer day.

This is only slightly related to the song, honestly, but it's a pretty great original sword-and-sorcery story with a lesbian mercenary captain.

This is the kind of off-kilter brilliance that I love out of Yuletide.

Wishing you a peaceful future from the earthlings (442 words) by jadelennoxChapters: 1/1Fandom: Space VehiclesRating: General AudiencesWarnings: No Archive Warnings ApplyCharacters: Voyager 1 (Space Vehicles)Additional Tags: Sestina, Poetry, Science, spaceSummary: It's not like there's a line painted in the emptysaying, "Last exit for the Oort Cloud. Time to go."

Evokes a genuine sense of wonder; overlook the typo in the first line.